NASA as Anchor Customer After 2030
What role will NASA play in in-space manufacturing once it no longer owns a station?
Chapter summary
NASA will become a buyer of services.
Key takeaways
- 1
Its commercial destinations procurement, with final proposals due on 8 December 2026 and awards expected in spring 2027, is designed to buy crew time and research capacity on commercial stations.
- 2
Whether NASA's research and manufacturing programmes, the ISS National Lab model and InSPA, continue on commercial platforms and on capsules will shape early demand.
- 3
NASA could also buy capsule flights for research, as it buys rideshare launches, providing anchor demand that private customers alone may not.
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